Check-hook.



H. E. LUTZ.

CHECK HOOK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1909.

957,512. Patented May 10,1910.

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@Nonna v HENRY E. LUTZ, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

CHECK-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 20, 1909.

Patented May 10, 1910. Serial No. 513,814.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. LUTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Helena, in the county of Lewis and Clark and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Check-Hooks, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to check hooks, and one of the principal objects of the same is to provide a check hook which will yield to the movements of the horses head and which will permit the detachment of the check rein in case the horse should stumble or fall.

Another object of the invention is to provide a check hook with a sliding shank mounted in a keeper and having a hook pivoted to the outer end of the shank, said hook bearing against a spring for holding` it in position to support the check rein and to permit the hook to give in case the horse should stumble or fall to detach the check rein therefrom.

These and other objects may be attained by means of the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a check hook made in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view.

Referring to the drawing, the numerals 1 designate the two parallel members of the keeper provided with a rear connecting cross bar 2, the front ends of said members being enlarged, as at 3, and provided with a shoulder 4. The sliding shank 5 has connected to its inner end a guide member 6 having at its upper side oppositely projecting lugs 7 which extend over the upper edges of the members 1, said guard having similar lugs 8 upon its underside which bear against the bottom edges of the members 1 to prevent the shank 5 from turning. The front end of the shank 5 is provided with a recess 9, and pivotally mounted in this recess is the check hook 10, said check hook having an upwardly extending bill 11. The check hook is pivoted upon a pin 12, and the rear underside of said check hook is rounded, as at 13. Secured to the top of the shank to cover the upper side of the recess 9 is a spring 14, said spring being held in place by means of a rivet or pin l5, said spring extending over the upper side of the inner portion of the check hook 10 to hold the same in alinement with the shank 5. A movable yoke 16 is mounted upon the keeper and surrounds the same at a point near the front end thereof, said yoke comprising plain side bars and a bottom cross bar, while the upper cross bar 17 is arched, as at 1S, and provided with a set screw 19 by means of which the action of the spring 14 may be regulated. A spring 2O surrounds the shank 5, one end of said spring bearing against the guide G, while the opposite end bears against the shoulder 4 at the front end of the members 1.

The operation of my invention may be briefly described as follows The check hook may be secured to the harness in any suitable manner, and when the check rein is engaged with the hook 11, any movement of the horses head will slide the shank 5 against the tension of the spring 20, which will return the shank 5 to its original position when the horse raises his head. Should the horse stumble the check hook will bear against the spring 14 and swing on its pivot 12 to permit the check rein to pass over the top of the bill 11 of the check hook. By adjusting the set screw 19 the action of spring 14 may be regulated.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that a check hook made in accordance with my invention will permit easy and natural movements of the head of the animal and will-prevent the breakage of the check rein or check hook in case the animal should stumble or fall.

I claim 1. A check hook comprising a keeper, a shank mounted in the keeper, a spring surrounding the shank, a check hook pivotally mounted in a recess in the front end of the shank, and a spring connected to the shank and extending over the rea-r end of the check hook.

2. A check hook comprising a keeper consisting o-f parallel members, a shank mounted to slide between said members and provided with a guide, a spring surrounding said shank, a check hook pivotally mounted upon said shank, a flat spring secured to said shank and extending over the rear end of said check hook, and a yoke surrounding the keepei1 and provided with a Set screw adapted to serve es an abutment for said flat spring to regulate the action thereof.

3. A elieck hook comprising a keeper7 a Shank mounted to slide in said keeper, a spring surrounding the shank, a check hook pivoted to the shank, Said cheek liook having an upwardly extending bill, and a spring for bearing upon the rear end of the Check hook to liold it in operative position. 1u In testimony whereof l aliX my Signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. LUTZ. 1Witnesses CLAUD L'IIZNER, TERRENCE QDONNELL. 

